Dwight
Howard is talked of as a future NBA Hall of Famer. Now in his 17th year
in the NBA, Howard was taken by the Orlando Magic as the first overall
in the 2004 NBA draft. He has since played in six NBA teams (twice with
the Los Angeles Lakers) and has no championship ring to show for his
efforts.
Today he’s with the Lakers
again, returning this season after a rather acrimonious stint in 2012-13
marked by testy exchanges with Kobe Bryant. It’s a different story now.
The coach is different. There are different leaders on the floor and
crucially, one could argue, one of them is LeBron James. The dynamics
are different. It would be hard to imagine Dwight Howard of 2012-13
Howard being silent about having to sit out an entire series, but that’s
what happened against the Houston Rockets in the second round of the
playoffs.
Those who called the shots, so
to speak, felt that Howard didn’t have a role to play against the
small-ball Rockets. So he was, in the words of one commentator,
relegated to being ‘a socially distant cheerleader on the bench.’
Howard
didn’t complain. He had returned to LA with a different mindset, ‘I
will do what it takes for the team.’ He even proposed a non-guaranteed
contract. His agent, Charles Briscoe put it in a rather back-handed way:
‘It
was about Dwight proving to himself he was ready for this role; he’d
lost pretty much everything. He felt like if he wanted to get anything
back, he needed to start from the bottom and work his way back.’
LeBron
and Anthony Davis would not paint Howard that way, one feels. Howard
knew who led the team. He trusted LeBron’s judgment and AD’s too, even
though the latter superstar was very much younger.
Next,
the Denver Nuggets. Different team, different strategies, different
lineups. Howard got the call. The Lakers felt they needed him to defend
Nikola Jokic. They expected a physical presence and hopefully that he
would draw some fouls on Jokic.
Howard’s only NBA finals appearance was with the
Orlando Magic in 2009 in a losing cause (1-4) against the Lakers. This
time he has a legitimate shot at a championship ring. Here are his
thoughts:
He
got Jokic, Jamal Murray and Pail Misslap in foul trouble before
halftime, each picking up three. And after the half ‘gave’ Jokic his
fourth, effectively crippling the Nuggets. In 16 minutes on the court,
he scored 13 points off 4-5 shooting, had 3 rebounds, 2 steams and 2
blocks. That’s presence. Presence not only ‘when it matters’ but ‘when
called upon to be counted.’
Maybe Howard is not the player he was, at least not
in terms of consistency. He’s obviously thrilled with the 2-0 lead in
the 7-game series. The coach might bench him again. He may get reduced
minutes. We don’t know.
One thing is
certain. Dwight Howard will not whine. He might not deliver beyond
expectations. He might not deliver as expected. However, whether or not
he has another monster game (for minutes on the floor), rest assured he
will give it his all on the floor or, if on the bench, will make sure
all vibes emanating from his corner will be positive.
Other articles in the series titled 'The Interception' [published in 'The Morning']
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